There were some remarkable statements at last Tuesday’s mayoral debate at the Savannah Morning News home on Chatham Parkway.

In response to a question about middle-class folks moving out of the city limits in recent years, Mayor Pro Tem Edna Jackson responded that residents move to outlying areas for quiet, not because they dislike living in Savannah.

I’m sure if we assembled a focus group of middle-class citizens who have moved out of the city limits, we’d find some who would put peace and quiet at the top of their lists.

But would that be the only reason?

The city of Savannah gained population between 2000 and 2010, but the growth was far below what one would have expected from just looking at birth and death rates.

In other words, more people moved out of the city in the last decade than moved into it. That’s true among both whites and blacks.

Clearly, some families have moved entirely out of Chatham County in the search for better public schools.

I have also heard over the years about a lot of prospective homebuyers looking outside Savannah to avoid the double whammy of both county and city property taxes. This is obviously a problem for a city that wants to attract additional residents and commercial investment.

Crime is also an issue. Maybe Jackson was obliquely referring to crime when she talked about the search for quiet, but why not say it clearly?

Over the years, I’ve frequently heard residents cite crime as a reason for moving to other neighborhoods. Sometimes these moves are within the city limits, sometimes not.

Sometimes these concerns about crime take on an irrational edge, especially among those who have little firsthand knowledge of specific neighborhoods. Still, Savannah’s crime rates are high, and it’s easy to understand why some residents, especially those with children, want to move outside the city.

The cost of housing has also played a key role – maybe the key role.

Home prices rose across the metro area as the housing bubble inflated. In many desirable areas of the city, middle-class buyers and first-time buyers were pretty much frozen out of the market. Even some less desirable areas that were deemed about to take off – like my neighborhood south of Forsyth Park – saw purchase prices that were prohibitive for many buyers.

But those potential buyers could often find affordable newer construction with more square footage in neighborhoods outside the city limits, especially in West Chatham.

The preference for new construction itself helped fuel the interest in neighborhoods outside the city limits, but obviously other factors played a role, including property taxes and crime.

Renters — many of whom are solidly middle-class — also found, and can generally still find, better deals outside the city limits.

A few years ago, I wrote extensively about tax appraisals that were too high on rental property, especially in downtown neighborhoods. Those appraisals pushed rents too high for many older units to compete with newer, more energy-efficient ones in outlying neighborhoods.

Now, I’m skeptical of the long-term health of many suburban communities across the country. Although poverty rates remain higher in urban areas than in suburban ones, poverty is increasing much faster in the suburbs. Transportation costs will continue to weigh on many suburbs. Many suburbs will eventually face crises related to aging infrastructure.

But many homebuyers are not looking so far ahead, and renters certainly aren’t.

So could Savannah’s public and private sector leaders have taken more steps to counter some of these recent trends?

Absolutely.

We could have thoughtfully examined property-tax burdens, with special emphasis on rental properties that had no protection from Stephens-Day. We could have talked frankly about the property bubble instead of wasting years insisting Savannah was immune. We could have done more to tackle quality of life issues, especially persistent street crime.

We could also have made the city more inviting to entrepreneurs. And we could have tried to nurture nightlife and the music scene instead of repeatedly attacking it.

There have been some good steps taken to improve the local schools, but we could obviously do more there too.

Obviously, many of the issues that have driven people out of the city in the past are still relevant.

And many will be relevant for the foreseeable future.

We can’t create any sort of proactive agenda, however, if we don’t clearly understand and acknowledge some of the problems that plague us.

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The population is decreasing in the city but ripping at the seems inside the Jails and State Prisons. Plenty of equal opportunity in the crime in Savannah. Black, white and please dont forget the glut of Mexicans. The black and hispanic wars will eventually increase, they just have not yet figured out how easy of a mark they both are. The amount of crime that actually occurs in this town is staggering. Most criminal activity goes undetected or unreported. The school system is terrible. News flash! The kids are idiots. The private schools are in such high demand only to protect the white kids from the blacks. The only exception to that rule is a few gifted running backs or large lineman to put the asses in the seats in the playoffs. The great thing is we are just like every other city in the US and it has been going on forever!

Always greener on the other side! I am a five generation Savannah son. The only reason I came back was to take care of my elderly parents. They now belong to Bonaventure. I have three siblings that left after High School and never looked back. The only reason I stay, I have a sixth and seventh generation living on the Islands. You love it and dislike it, all at the same time. Midnight in the Garden, boy howdy !

...the wrong question? Why don't people move into Savannah? If your company relocated you to this area and you were checking it out, would you move into the city? The crime, poor school system, high taxes and obvious racism of an inept city goverment would make me run to the burbs like a scalded cat.

1. The city can't do the simple things right...Recycling is a prime example. Everywhere else around the country they have been doing it for years. Yet we can't seem to get on board.
2. Crime
3. The schools. You have basically 3 or 4 good schools, the rest of the schools are run by the inmates. God forbid you suspend any black children in your school and the school board goes up in arms. I know of principals who have been reassigned and demoted because of their suspension rates. Especially for black students, well when 90% of your school is black what do you expect. Now you have some schools where the administration is afraid to suspend kids because it goes against their count. Please, if a kid misbehaves they misbehave deal with it, and if the parent's don't want to deal with it...take them to court. The school board is lucky the economy is in a downturn or more parents would be leaving.
4. Money. I bought a house outside of Chatham County because most of the houses are too old. For the exception of the historic area and maybe Ardsley Park most houses were built in the 60s-80s and they look it. Old, dirty, disgusting. Why would anyone spend $250,000 for a house built in 1980 when you could go out of county or to South Carolina and get a brand new house for much much less.
5. Traffic. We don't have many traffic problems compared to large cities, but the ones we have are easily fixable. First, why are trucks even ALLOWED downtown on the main tourist street? Is the Truman Parkway to nowhere ever going to get fixed..the islands expressway? Or the stupid train crossings that you have to wait 10 minutes or more for during Rush Hour!?! And I have not even mentioned the 20 mile backup on getting out of South Side. Stupid.
6. Trash. Sad to say, unless your downtown, Chatham county is dirty and smells bad.

Living somewhere else and visiting or working in Savannah is great. You couldn't pay me to live in Chatham County.

I can tell you why I left savannah. OTIS JOHNSON !!!! I sold all my land and relocated after his first year. High taxes,[filtered word] poor leadership in the city ranks. The plan was to get rid of the "Good Ole Boy system" and he replaced it with " Now its Our turn"
I really dont see it getting much better with the selection Sav has to choose from for the new election.

Savannah is not alone in having dysfunctional city government, but many smaller communities have more constructive, efficient, effective and "in touch" governance --- with less rancor and inertia.

I've not had children in school in my Savannah years, but the quality of public school education would drive me away if I had. People I know who have moved out did it after they started having school age children.

I could have written your letter and only changed the 40 year SHS reunion to 50. I've staked out my place in the family plot at Bonaventure, i.e headstones engraved sans the final date, but don't plan to move back before then.

People are damned tired of your ineffective police department and your lack of action and lack of competence to conduct yourself as anything other than a racist pig. You and your police department know where the criminals are and you do nothing. Don't be surprised in the near future if we the people start cleaning up the communities. Unfortunately I've had to defend myself on more than one occassion. If need be I will again, without regret or hesitation. Better judged by 12 than carried by 6.

are the same ones that love to quote President Obama's 57 states gaffe. It is petty. It shows the depth of their knowledge.

My question is if any of these Republican loons were on the Democratic Primary ticket, what these "scholars" would be saying? Imagine if the Democratic Party picked a new and fearless leader every month. Ran up his poll numbers because he/she was the next greatest thing. Only to fall flat on their faces upon further public examination.

So, yeah, talk about Otis and his "turn" now. We are constantly laughing at vaccines causing retardation. We are laughing that a Republican presidential contender made an a** out of himself asking for a birth certificate of a sitting president. We are laughing that one Texan is not any better at putting together a sentence than the last Texan. You know, the sleepy one. We are laughing as you put the next contestant on the pedestal to be your Republican savior only to have allegations of sexual harassment, on top of his plan to tax 84% Americans more, on top of his pro-choice stance.

By all means, keep the laughs coming and do not let anyone forget what Otis said.

I agree with Mr. Dawers. Dancing around the real reasons why many leave Savannah reveals yet another weakness in this city’s government. Let’s call it the Ostrich Effect, except that their heads are not necessarily buried in sand. I still consider Savannah my home, but I mourn its state. So, why did I move out of Savannah and Chatham County? (1) Poorly planned “development” of islands and the area’s infrastructure in general; (2) Overpriced home ownership as a result of escalating taxes; (3) Racism, black to white – like those who came into power somehow makes history better by repeating the same behaviors of those whose racist practices infiltrated this area; (4)An educational system that is too concerned with teaching only what is necessary to pass a test that does nothing to reveal how prepared students are for any career path, college, technical school, or anything else. Heads Up! Your children are grossly unprepared for college and the University System should not be expected to lower standards to accommodate them. Oh yes, it is NOT the teachers’ fault; (5) Crime! The solution to crime is so complex that many just gloss over it. Crime is a deeply-rooted sociological issue. Clearly someone gets it. Have you noticed the national television ads promoting family dinners, the art of conversation with your kids, and mentors? The basic tenets of right and wrong in a civilized society that most of those who read something like this post understand, are not understood by those who think that if you cut them off in traffic, they have the right to pull out a 9mm and shoot you or those who think that because you can afford a 52” HD television that they can take it and you can go buy another one. I think what I am trying to say is this: more police officers and more jail space only serve to address part of the problem. If this city and county really wanted to make it better, then some of the money spent on frivolous things like office redecorating and overseas trips, would have been directed at the programs designed to promote the kinds of values that make us civilized; (6) Peace and Quiet! No vehicles driving past with woofers rattling my windows. And where I live, if a dog barks for longer than a few minutes, neighbors actually check to make sure that it's only a deer or raccoon that's upsetting them.

These posts are in vain, I fear. The powers that be don't really give a rat's [filtered word] what any of us say. They are having their moment and that is all they care about, regardless of what they say. This area needs all new management that really wants to represent what a city/county ought to be. Why not strive to be a model that changes things and shows other municipalities how it CAN and SHOULD be done?

I was more laughing at it for the satire it is. For the strong irony and sarcasm it details. It is so close to the truth that it is funny. The guy nails it on "Republican Speak". (ADDED: Ronald Reagan's definition is one of the best.)

The school system is appalling, unemployment rate keeps going up, affordable housing is almost impossible to find, taxes are too high and the cost of living is outrageous. That’s why people are leaving Savannah.

is obvious not the hostess with the mostess. The school system did not get to be appalling overnight. It got that way because some parents opted out for private schools to avoid having their children bussed. It was not long ago that Windsor Forest was annexed into the city of Savannah. Took a while to get the kinks ironed out providing them goods and services. No secret that this annexation took place because the city needed tax revenue. There is no crystal ball which enables Savannah Chatham Metro to forsee where a crime is going to be committed and then dispatch personnel. Everybody who has not seen the movie in theaters probably has the DVD " Death Wish" so when they take the law into their own hands there will no shortage of sympathy and understanding. Some of the sirens at all hours of the night could be firetrucks and ambalances not necessarily police cars. Be thankful that the aforementioned emergency responders don't keep bankers hours.

Savannah is a mini black magnet because that is the lifestyle that is here.Good people, regardless of race, given a choice, prefer not to have to live with one eye in the bushes just to keep from being mugged by some crack head thug.Too damn much racism in City Hall and da tax is too damn high.

And what a fine job you have done! Compared to Atlanta, Detroit, New Orleans, Los Angeles, a fine job!! Wait, is it true? All these cities are just like Savannah, crime, murders, robberies, assalts, theft, burglery, drugs, rape - A fine job I tell you.

I just moved to Savannah a year ago due to my job I'll most iikely move once the project is completed here in 2 years and move on to another city that is plagued with all the same problems of Savannah as the city from which I came before and the city before that. The problem that drives people from Savannah is no different from drives people from any other cities in America.

FEAR. Some of the fear is real but a lot of the fear is perceived illusions of ghosts yet to be exorcise from our past. We shift around the blame pin them to more mocking names like school children dancing around a refrain of a lullabye that will not sleep. But your FEAR creates your racism built upon by the lies of that which was already artificial to the human condition. That superiority that boasts within your shallow ego that I am better than you and I deserve better than you. It caste down as well its fellow stones of kinship sexism, classism and on and on until we have built a wall around ourselves as humans. In the end we hate because that is our pain and our cancer and we endear to it. Because without those stones we find we have nothing. Because for many a generation we have been defined by our past and not whom we are, MANY of us will walk upon this earth 6 score and 6 more before we realize only the first 6 were ever yours and even then the molded had already begun.

Man along with Savannah must overcome his FEAR of each other before he will find real solutions as to how a normal society of people is organized. Those walls Reagan must come down.

You can chatter about better school system, a more effiecient government, a better economy, more affordable housing, solving crime but as a society we have sewn hate and therefore that is what we reap. These are the fruits upon the tree that have ripened and fallen to the ground that we devour in protest of our Gods. Your suburbs will not find you peace. There is no peace in the fruit of hate.You reap what you sew, And we eat what we reap. We are hate.

Honey those other cities has nothing over this DRUG EMPORIUM OF THE SOUTH let alone robberies,rape and murder!This is one very trigger happy city and too high to know the difference! Let me see NO JOBS !MONEY TALKS!The R card in every aspect of life played.And its pledjudice against disabled and housing!UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING AND OUTRAGEOUS PET FEES!They want a fee even if they are therapy pets and dang near charge children fees and even question renting to those with certain ages .Some hate teens others infants and toddlers to also include any under 10.Schools suck with exception to 6 .3-4 of choice and congrads South West Elementary ,South west Middle and Islands .I changed my mind on Windsor after a few visits.And those did not include wether AYP certified.It's fact of presence and welcoming and product produced.Can that instructor reach the student and work with the parents?Most could but won't!Attitude of most!Pull up those saggy baggies and respect us!I could go on but its hopeless and shameful.It is GREEDY!High taxes!Medical needs not met often!Noise Pollution and it has a horrible AROMA!

You would think before someone were to make sweeping generalizations, disguised as intelligent thought, they would be able to use the English language.

So you think perceived 'FEAR' is the factor 'we' use to escape from institutionalized crime? My word you are simple.

Six score and six is 126 years. You plan on living that long, 'MANY' wont? I hope by the end you are better able to make a point. Right now, although you are a terrible writer, there is a contest I feel you are perfectly qualified to enter.

You are the one wrong and abusive here .this helps explain my point.People here are all up on I'm better than thou or GOD attitude. Just to remind you you are not perfect as you think and certainly not JESUS!Get over your nasty attitude and self and realise we are human and entitled to our opinions although some will not like what we have to say.I will never miss this city. I hit a nerve folks and it is because I spoke the truth.Education issues were long resolved with a long term resolution in progress.Like I said it forms a grave yard pentegram.It is a definite southern Black Hole.It will trap you.It is like the Burmuda Triangle with a satanic center.Jewel you,re an old name to me .NO love lost.This is something I rarely do or say but this time I felt a need to.

Mayor and staff admit it You FAILED the people!Fix it! Let some one who can get the job done RIGHT step in.This is what I have been reading ,hearing and seeing. I see a Failed City Government.Call it what you want but the people have spoke and it seems to me your heads are on the chopping block.It is election time and I say you better do some tall talk convincing to KEEP YA'LL. I think the citizens are ready for a change except the ones you sugar coated their seats.Another thing please put in a cross walk at the new library before somebody gets killed there .When they do people please use it.Save the city from the future ghost town.

Downtown Savannah is a disaster - the powers that be are hell bent on bringing as many tourists here as possible without any thought on the impact on the residents or the environment. One of these days the trees that make Savannah unique, are going to start falling down from lack of care, cars, trolleys, foot traffic, horse urine, etc. So, then what is the Chamber and the City going to attract people with?
Now 22,000 people are going to run within a half a block of my house. Doesn't anybody here think anything through? When does the quality of life for citizens become more important than getting tourists here?

Everyone is proud of SCAD but they are a non-profit organization and don't pay taxes like a business. The students walk out into the streets without even looking to see if a car is coming. Walkers have the right of way, but it is stupid not to look for cars.